Affordable Creative Lighting Accessory for Photographers

Here is a quick tip from my forthcoming book (due out this fall and co-authored with NYC studio photographer Vered Koshlano), Studio Lighting Secrets.

Sure, you can spend thousands of dollars on studio light gear that will help you get great shots. But for about $30, you can pick up a cool lighting accessory at The Home Depot Venetian blinds. This accessory can help you create creative lighting effects even when you are shooting with only one light.

Heres the technique.

First, position the blinds (taped on a reflector/diffuser stand in our behind-the-scenes photo) between the light and the model. Adjust the opening of the slats to vary the lighting effect. Also vary the distance (three feet for our photo) between the light and the blinds.

A constant light source (as opposed to a strobe) is best for this technique because you can see the shadows and highlights created by the blinds before you shoot.

The model shot on the left is a straight shot no blinds were used. The other two model shots show the effect of varying the size of the openings in the blinds. The bottom picture is a behind-the-scenes shot.

With this setup, you really need to experiment to get the desired effects.

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